Letter writer has concerns about Antioch’s branding effort, proposed tax increase
Dear Editor:
Tell me again what your plan is?
A big chunk of money has been spent to hire professionals to come up with a plan to improve the image of Antioch as a place people want to work and live. Why then would the city council work against itself by opening up the city for the sale and distribution of marijuana and byproducts?
All the talk of how it will revitalize economic development and stimulate the economy seems to makes dollar sense. But somewhere along the line common sense has been pushed aside. So far, all the city has in place is a licensing tax. They haven’t come up with a business tax yet, so no one has an idea just how much revenue can or will be generated.
The council is considering increasing the tax on Measure C. If it stays as it was originally created that would be a good thing. To tack on other departments or uses would be a misuse of funds.
Everyone has known from the beginning Measure C would sunset. That clause was put in to get people to vote for it. To sweeten the pot, the council created an oversight committee. Having a citizen watchdog committee reassured voters that the money would be spent as it was intended. Why would you dilute funds intended for the police department while at the same time creating a situation that will require even more enforcement personnel in the future?
Bottomline:
Many people spoke out at council meetings against what they perceive as a mistake in the marketing of their city. They felt disappointed, powerless and very angry. Maybe it’s time to take a deep breath and see if the council can deliver. If they truly believe that they’re going to generate lots of money from these new business ventures, then divert the new tax money to those programs.
Barbara Herendeen
Antioch
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